John t



(ModeL) J. T. LEWMAN.

\ MOLE TRAP.

No. 366,963. 7 Patented J 1y 19, 1887.

I" T Gr 1 12 W F. q

0% o L I I V V V f 02 as UNITED STATES. PATENT rricn.

JOHN T. LEVMAN, OF LEATHERWOOD, INDIANA.

MOLE-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettems Patent No. 366,963, dated July 19,18E'7.

Application filed May 9, 1887.

T0 CLZZ whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. LE\Vl\IAN, of Leatherwood, in the county ofParke and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mole-Traps; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in mole'traps; and it consists inthe combination of two strips or boards, which form base-plates andwhich are connected together by curved strips, wires, or rods which areso formed at their centers as to form braces,and which have their endsbent so as to be forced into the ground and thus anchor the trap inplace, suitable guides, which extend upward from the base-plates, thedrop provided with sharp points, the trigger, and the rod which operatesthe trigger, as will be more full y des n'ibed hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a mole-trap in which theframe-work for the drop is braced in position by the same rods, whichhave their ends so formed as to be forced into the ground and thusanchor the trap in place.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trap em; bodying my invention. Fig. 2is an end view of the same, the drop being shown raised upward. Fig. 3is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a perspective of the falling weight and thetrigger mechanism.

A represents two strips which form baseplates and which are rigidlyconnected to gether by means of arched plates 13. These strips areseparated just far enough to rest upon opposite sides of the mole-hill,and the strips are arched upward sufficiently high to allow the mole topass under them toward the center of the trap. Secured at the center ofthe inner edge of each of the strips A is a block, 0, which rises upwardany suitable distance,and upon the top of which is placed the plate D,which has an opening through its center for the passage of thetrigger-rod. Passing through the block 0 and the ends of the plate D isthe wire F, which is bent, as shown, so as to form a frame in which thedrop G has Serial No, 237,613. (M del.)

its vertical play. This drop consists ot'ametallic casting of anysuitable weight having sharp prongs projecting from its under side, j

triggera-od passes, and extending across the top of this opening is ashort rod, J, under which the end of the trigger L catches. top portionof the frame formed by the rod or wire, F, has a suitable loop formed init, and in this loop the trigger L is pivoted. The trigger-rod N, havinga plate, 0, secured to its lower end and which passes through theopening in the center of the plate D, up through the opening in thecenter of the drop G, has its upper end bent at right angles and made tocatch over the trigger. hen the plate 0 and the trigger-rod israisedupward by the passage of the mole under it, the rod trips the triggerand the weight descends.

The frame, which is formed by the rod or wire F, is braced in positionby the two rods P, which extend upward from theends of the strips A, andwhich are connected to the frame, as shown. The lower ends of the rods1? are bent downward and made to extend any suitable distance below theends of the strips A, so as to be forced into the ground and formanchors to hold the trap in place. These rods P, it will be seen, serveboth to brace the frame in which the drop moves in position and to formanchors for holding the trap in position.-

The operation of the trap is as follows: The trap is first placed overthe track of the mole and the ends of the rods P are forced down intothe ground until the strips rest solidly thereon. The mole passing alongback through the track passes under one of the anchors B toward thecenter of the trap, where it forces upward the plate 0, and therebytrips the trigger. The drop G, which has previously been raised andsupported by the trigger, descends and the sharp spikes are driven intothe mole.

I am aware that a mole-trap adapted to have its base rest upon oppositesides of the molehill and to have its trigger mechanism connected to andoperated by 'a lever that has one end to rest upon the mole-hill, sothat when The the lever is raised at its inner end by the mole aspring-actuated spiked plate is released from the trigger and drivendownward, is not new, and this I disclaim.

Having thus described claim- In a mole-trap, the combination of the twostrips A, which bear upon the top of the ground, upon opposite sides ofthe mole-hill, the two arches B, which extend across the two strips andconnect them together, the framework -forrned by the rod or wire F, andwhich projects above the strips at their centers to support the trigger,the metallic stop G, provided with sharp points upon its under side,having an opening through its center for the passage of the trigger-rod,and having the my invention, I

rod J extended across the top of the opening to engage with the trigger,the trigger-rod, which has the plate 0 connected to its lower end andwhich extends up through the stop G, the trigger pivoted upon thebrace-rods P,

and the brace-rods which brace the rods or wire F in position at theircenters, and having their lower ends to project down belowthe

